1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to a tool for facilitating the laying of a floor, and more particularly to a method and device for “setting” or abutting a laminate wood floor panel adjacent to an obstruction to the previously assembled floor.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
There are many ways in which to force objects which are adjacent to one another snugly together. The simplest way, of course, is to simply provide a force transverse to the length of the two objects by using a device such as a hammer or rubber mallet. This is accomplished by building up linear momentum in the hammer and then directly imparting that momentum into the side of the object by direct contact. Thus the momentum is transmitted to the object, which is then forced via the transverse momentum snugly against the adjacent object. This simple methodology fails, however, when there is insufficient space to build momentum in such a way that it can be imparted to the object in a direction that will force the object against the adjacent object.
This realization is very important in the flooring industry and particularly in the wood flooring industry. Wood floors are installed by placing individual wood flooring boards on the surface on which they are to be installed and then providing a force to the side of one board to snugly force it against the adjacent board so that there are no gaps or space between the individual boards. This is a very simple process so long as there is sufficient space on the side of the board which is to be forced so one can generate a linear momentum. Imparting a force becomes significantly more difficult as this area to create a force diminishes. For example, when installing the last wood flooring board, usually a wall is immediately adjacent. It is, therefore, impossible to generate momentum with a hammer or rubber mallet as you cannot swing the hammer in such a way as to impart a force in a direction that would force a wood flooring board against an adjacent wood flooring board.
At this point, it is worthwhile to look at one or two examples of prior art solutions to the above mentioned problem of setting or abutting a floor panel next to an obstruction such as a wall. Two patents have surfaced from a preliminary search and show the shortcomings of the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,984,271 issued to Ellenberger, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,819,393 issued to Bockart et al show two similar embodiments. Both of the patents show tools which sit on the assembled floor, have a sliding component which generates momentum, and have an end block or member which contacts the floorboard to be abutted. In contrast with the present invention, both of these patents have the following disadvantages. Initially, the device used in the two patents contacts the floor to some degree, setting up a possibility that the assembled floor, during operation of the apparatus, could be marked or damaged in some way. Further, the devices of both patents impart a “lifting force” on the device as the sliding hammer body is slid to the impact member of the device. The end member contacting the board to be abutted is a vertical surface, and the vertical surface is flush against the board. When the tools in both of the above mentioned patents are used, a horizontal force is generated against the floorboard to be set. A vertical component or lifting force, however, is also generated which tends to “lift” the board to be set to a degree. This “lifting” force on the floorboard and assembled floor is highly undesirable and is also absorbed by the device itself adding a wear component to the tool. A further disadvantage to the above two mentioned patents is that the space required behind the floorboard to be set is greater than the present invention. This relatively large space required is due in part to the general application of those tools. The general objective or application of both of the tools in the above two patents is to abut floorboards in a side-to-side manner. In an application, however, such as laying a laminate tongue-in-groove hardwood wherein the tongue and groove were located at the ends of the floorboard, problems would be presented for those tools. The device of the present invention requires less space behind the floorboard to be set than the tools of the prior art and is specifically useful for use with laminate floors which have a tongue and groove connection at the ends of the individual floorboards. In particular, it is especially difficult to set the end of a laminate floorboard where that board meets a wall or other obstruction. The present invention can fit easier into these tighter spaces due to its structure. Typically, the present invention can be fit into a 3/16-inch space between the end of the board and the obstruction. It can be mentioned that using the present invention, existing, potentially hard to match narrow trim panels can be removed from a wall and re-used. Further, the present invention, due to its structure, can be used under the toe-kick of a cabinet, as it can be “rolled” out of a tight space. With respect to the other disadvantages previously mentioned, it can be noted that the present invention, due to the structure of the member contacting the floorboard, will impart only a horizontal linear force to the floorboard with a negligible vertical or “lifting” component. It can be readily appreciated that no lifting pressure on the floorboard, assembled floor, or device during operation is highly desirable. Also the device of the present invention has minimal contact with the assembled floor surface. As will be described subsequently, only a plastic ring contacts the assembled floor in a very small area. Dirt or grit, etc. caught underneath the device and causing damage, such as scratches, during operation is not a factor. One last thing that can be mentioned regarding the above two patents when compared to the present invention is that the installer's hands are kept away from the impact area of the sliding weight. The handle provided with the device of the present invention adds a factor of safety and control compared to the prior art.